Malawi President Peter Mutharika has officially launched the Public Service Reforms programme to set in motion recommendations that have been put in place in order to bring efficacy to public service delivery, saying the public “wants change” which his government will deliver.

President Mutharika shows the report submitted by the commissioners . – Pic by Stanley Makuti

President Mutharika is welcomed by his dutiful deputy Saulos Chilima who chair the reforms committe.- … – Pic by Stanley Makuti

President Mutharika in a group photo with the commissioners – Pic by Stanley Makuti

Mutharika was speaking Wednesday, February 11 in the capital Lilongwe when he launced the Public Service Reforms programme, one of the electoral promises of his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“Let us accept change, open up our fixed mind set so that we start a new and afresh in rebuilding our nation,” appealed the President.

In June last year, President Mutharika appointed the Public Sector Reforms Commission (PSRC) chaired by Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

Mutharika said the public service is the centre of government operations and plays a key role in the social-economic and social well-being of the country.

“We must, therefore, have a Civil Service that is professional, efficient, and effective and ready to meet current and future challenges of this country,” he said.

“When others say that the private sector is the engine of national development, I say that the Public Service is the oil of the engine that has to be renewed periodically,” the Head of State pointed out.

“And as the Vice Presiden , who is the chairman of Commission has repeatedly said, this time around reforming the Public Service is not a matter of multiple choice. It will be done and it must be done. And it must be done now,” said Mutharika.

The Malawi leader said the reforms will be done “because the public, especially the young generation, wants change – therefore we cannot afford to pass over a country to the new generation when we are resistant to change. So the reforms will be done because the public wants them to be done.”

He said the reforms will be implemented because there is “political will” and quoted Chilima for saying . during consultation meetings, that there is “ an overflow of political will” and Mutharika added that there is “an ocean of political will” to implement the reforms.

The Malawi leader said he is “more than happy” that his government is “ walking the talk and we are on our way of reforming the public service to make it professional, efficient, and effective.”

Mutharika said as part of the implementation of the reforms, government will establish new structures to ensure greater focus on performance and delivery at the highest levels.

“The structures include a Parliamentary Committee on Reforms to enhance parliamentary oversight on reforms on behalf of the electorate. We will also establish a permanent Public Service Reform Commission through appropriate policy and legislative tools,” disclosed Mutharika.

Mutharika also said government will introduce new methods in recruiting Principal Secretaries and those from Grade 5 above “so that they should be going through a competitive promotion system so that we hire the best as opposed to the current system that is deemed not to be objective.”

Political and administration analyst Mustaffa Hussein applauded the process of the reform fact-finding mission, saying it took a good approach in engaging people from various sectors.

Opposition People’s Party (PP) spokesperson Ken Msonda said the idea of civil service reforms was a good one, but he questioned the process, saying there should have been collaborated efforts between the current reforms commission and the old commissions.

During the launch, the President also signed Organizational Performance Agreements (OPAs) with selected ministries including the Ministry of Finance as part of the reforms initiative.

The OPA framework will set out clear steps so that the Civil Service has the capability and capacity to perform at the highest level possible to ensure that civil servants are fully accountable.

Malawi, its not easy to acheive this though achievable. however we have shown the will. we need to move forward as a country. every jounery starts with one step. time will come when these things will workout. anthu wonse a corruption, ankhanza, akhomelera mulungu awakantha posachedwa. one day things will work.

Are we really serious with reforms when we can even spend money to print a cloth just for a launch of a mere document? Yet we need money for the flood victims.. and he we are spending money to print a cloth for a 1hr function…. it really amazes me how we think sometimes! that cash could be well spent elsewhere and still have a launch! yrrrrh!

Printing a Cloth fr the reform function tells us that there is alot to be done for us to reform, coz the cloth was not necessary, we just wasted money for nothing. The President must change in his head first. He was supposed to lead by example, for not using the cloth which just attracted a loss of so much money in printing the cloth just to be used for two hours, thats useless and wasteful.

These reforms will not bring much change to public service delivery due to political interference. APM loves ‘re-deploying’ people he doesn’t like to other Government organisations, often at higher posts than their qualifications and experience can justify. This demotivates career officers in those departments.

Civil servants are very clever in the way they show displeasure – they are outwardly polite while mentally they are saying “fuck you – I can’t do what you are asking me to do…”. Just ask private sector people who have gone into the civil service on contract in the past. During Muluzi’s rule there was this programme of bringing in qualified accountants as Directors of Finance in key ministries – within 2 years the programme was a total failure.

Another failure is that the reforms target more senior people who are not really the problem in the civil service: It is not the Directors or PS’s who cause delays and malaise – it the clerks, the medical assistants, messengers, drivers e.t.c – the first point of contact for most citizens. The senior officers’ sin is in the lack of supervision of junior staff and so on down the line.

For example the Director at RTD sitting in his air conditioned office has no idea that CoF’s are being issued when the vehicle has been nowhere near the pit. Remember The Nation expose about a dilapidated pick-up that got a CoF? That is still happening up to now – I should know since I get CoF for my vehicle while it is parked at home. Why should I spend 2 or 3 days at RTD waiting for my CoF when I can send a dobadoba to buy it for me? I have better use for my time than wasting it for hours on end at RTD. I have no doubt that come 2016 I will still be able to ‘buy’ a CoF…

Mr. President, how can you allow expensive fireworks at the dinner of this so called civil service reform project launch when we have fellow Malawians suffering in flood hit areas and government is failing to meet its budgetary obligations? Please let there be some morality in immorality. Why not wait to celebrate when the reforms have yielded the desired end?

MY FELLOW CITIZENS I THINK REFORMS WILL NOT CHANGE ANYTHING WHY MANY CIVIL SERVANTS ARE OLD GUYS WHO TAKES CARE OF BIG FAMILIES FOR LESS THAN K30000 A MONTH DON’T YOU THIS WILL BRING A LOT OF MISERY DUE TO HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE..OKAY WHO WILL REPLACE THESE MSCE GUYS YOU SAID GRADUATES FROM ROTTING IN THE STREETS AND FOR WHICH JOBS?WHAT IS NEEDED IS NOT REFORMS BUT JOB CCREATION SO THAT INSTEAD OF GRADUATES ROTTING IN THE STREETS THEY SHOULD BE ROTTING IN THEIR BUSINESSES.MIND YOU THESE GRADUATES YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITIES AS SUCH THEY DO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE ON THE GROUND AS THEY ARE USED TO BE GIVEN MONEY FROM THE GOVT THROUGH XOOL ALLOWANCES…DON’T THE JOB MARKET WILL BE CONSUMING A LOT MONEY THROUGH RECRUITMENT OF THE GRADUATES IN QUESTION…CHINA CHEAP LABOR THATS THE REASON CHINAA IN ONE OF GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD E.G IN MALAWI GRADUATE WA EDUCATION ALI KU QUEENS PURCHASING DRUGS AND BALANCING ACCOUNTS KU ACCOUNTS DEPT…..PRIDE IZATIPHA KWATHU KUNO

Reform in govt is due indeed this will benefit both the workers and the common man, the issue is not that the reforms will fuel nepotism as some are believe but this asssit to know that everyone is working and all the failures and people who don’t want to work are fired and only the people who want to work are hired and motivated

I believe if we can walk the talk change will come but my worry is the over use of old brooms for a change,they have done their part we are grateful,but now lets us discard these recycled politicians and bring in young, brilliant, new blood over flowing hopelessly in the streets to champion the change there need because today and the future belong to us the youth

What are the reforms saying on recruiting people based on nepotism, tribalism and regionalism just as Peter Mutharika & his lieutenants are doing. MRA is it a reserve of Mulhakhos? Iwe Seode White munthu waku LL kumasekelera nyasi ngati zimenezo? Fu.. Licking pitaras balls that’s what you know best

What’s wrong with my dear Malawi? The more the things seem to change the more they remain the same.Still using women!!!!We thought Chilima will bring sanity and avoid some of these things.Why should the lady members of this commission were cloth bearing the head of Mutharika?And of all women Seodi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Koma masikonowaaa!!!!!!!!!Kuteroku ndiye kuti a Chilima mukazakhala citizen no 1 azimai azizavala nsalu za nkhope yanu??????????.African politics will never change no matter ones’ principles.

Mr. President.Why havent you talked about the disorganise posting system of graduates.Few weeks ago we heard complaints on Zodiac from College of Medicine graduates who have not been posted for now a year,as they keep rotting in streets.And we all know school at that College is tough.

Pangani chiganizo ndi chithunzi chapamwambacho!
Ndikuona a President ndi a ex awo akukhalana bwino kwabasi!!!!!
Well done APM, we just hope that Quota system will not be introduced in the civil service. Merit should prevail!

The color of the cloth worn by Seodi (2nd Wife of Mr, Ibu) and that of the booklet is similar to that of Muhlakho wa Ahlomwe to indicate that the reforms are aimed at propelling all Lhomwes including mbuli to higher positions. Cry my beloved Malawi.

Mordern adminstration takes ICT as the core component and sadlywe have a people who are incapacitated heading such a vital section. I wish to appeal to the head of e government to resign of health ground and create space for a more capable person to champion the implementation of ICT. He should take the example of Paul Kanyamwa who felt it possible to resign because his office is demanding and needs a healthy person. its not a sign of weakness to do so.

The crop of politicians that have have loud mouths. What I know is that merit means tribalism. Reforms means retardation. Old habits die hard. Malawi is a cursed nation full of evil tribes that are bent on oppresing each other.

Someone shud tell the president that the private sector has never been the engine of national development. It is the government through state-owned companies. Muchedwa nazo izi if you are looking for the private sector to develop the country. That is the language of the capitalists.

Explore other models of development. Russia, Japan, China have developed along different paths. Please do not be brainwashed by western countries, especially the IMF and World Bank. Look at how other countries have developed.

Ive watched global leaders posing for group photo but never seen the host President sitted while others stand posing for the cameras. In Davos G-8 summit comes to mind even OAU, unless Mutharika is ill and people are hiding something. Za pa Malawi always backward thinking.

It’s OK to do things differently. Why should Malawi emulate Davos on this one? It’s not an evidence based practice to stand for a group photo. BUT also remember Peter’s age and that he’s a newly wed. Its normal ri feel a lower back pain if you add age, work related stress and private matters as a married man. Not strange, not shameful, perfectly human and normal!

Why is Seodi wearing a cloth with the head of Mutharika, i thought this was Civil Service Reform excercise not DPP reform excercise. When are we going to change this silly stinking attitude of politicising every national issue or agenda. Tinangokhala ngati zi silu tonse ku Malawi, brain dead people.

The President is good but can only be the best if he redeploy Mr Ben Phiri and Paulos Chisale who are misleading and are contributing to nepostic recruitments and spirit of vengeance which is against the President’s ideals. Many of us are complaining because of these two

what type of reform are u talking about mr president? People in the civil service are yet to receive their january salaries while u r having reform dinner with pple who can feed themselves better than that. Worst still u beam ur dinner on your APM and dpp tv to the hungry people whom you have not paid their salary. I cry for my poor malawi. Where are those pple who can take action to bail out the malawians frm these selfish idiot leaders.

Does reform reformed mandatory retirement age? It shd be 55yrs from 66yrs.If not then it is incomplete reform. We’re having MSCE officers heading district offices while degree holders are just rotting in towns. I hope some of recommendation is district officers shd be holders of degree. A MSCE kumangovutitsa a MSCE adzao basi.

Southerners and in particular Lomwes dominate top positions in the civil service. That is why we are now calling for a federal system of government. A person from the Lomwe belt gets a job much easier than one from the core central region. The same goes with promotions in the civil service. The Yaos don’t really matter because they are business minded and are mostly taken up by Indians. Northerners dominate CSO, USAID, UN organizations and the Milkennium Challenge Account.

With what is happening at the Ministry of information .i.e. taking people from parastatals (MBC) making PSs, Directors, Deputy Directors leaving out people in the rank and file of the Ministry or civil service I doubt very much if we are going to get anywhere with these reforms.

The situation at the Ministry of Information which Peter himself is presiding over smacks of nothing but a mockery to the so called reforms. Where you are getting people from Media houses ( BNL) Ndala, Viola from galaxy radio and others making Directors and getting Chimwemwe Banda from MBC and making her PS surely is silly and immoral.

Min of Information is a perfect example ox what DPP reforms mean. Its a mockery to hard working civil servants who have worked had to rise through the ranks and file and end up being ignored for political party cadres when it comes to big positions . if nothing changes civil servants will make these reforms fail, akafunse anzawo

Inu a Reasonable Man why don’t you also talk about the K92billion misused by DPP up to April 2012. Let us accept that DPP has also a terrible history. I listened to the speeches at the launch of the public service reforms and there was no admission that it is political interference that has greatly weakened the public service. Even Peter Mutharika has appointed several DPP sympathisers into public service. Look at MBC.It is now worse than during PP Govt. I am not surprised with the outcome. The commissioners who never worked in the public service are like a person who is not a medical doctor diagonising diseases and prescribing medicine. Vague terms such as changing the mindset are not helpful. If the DPP Govt is serious about reforms let it open up MBC.

Forget about any success of the so called reforms if the political leadership in this country continues to believe that the best people can only and will only come from one region. Forget about any success and indeed any development in this country if people are not appointed into key positions on merit.

Mr. President, I voted for you because you gave me real hope this time that this country will start developing as you are probably the most educated president we have ever had as a nation since independence. But my hope was up in smoke when I saw the type of people you approved to be board members of parastatals. Political patronage, regionalism, tribalism, nepotism, cronyism and corruption are the real enemies of this nation. The mess that is in the civil service is a result of these vices I have mentioned. You do not need reforms to transform this country. Just fight these vices with a serious sense of patriotism just as your brother did in his first term, then you will see what will happen to this country. Some bad and evil people will fight you back for doing so, just as they did against your brother, but I can assure you that you will become the greatest president this country will ever have. You know Mr. President, this country should harness the best from our best doctors, best engineers, best lawyers, best accountants, best chemists, best teachers, best security experts, best scientists, best economists, best agriculturalists, best administrators, best professors, etc, etc. But we are failing to do so because of poor government policies and political patronage. The best people may come from a tribe or region you may not like, they may even be brothers just like you and you late brother, or they may have names that you may not like. But the policy should be the same: let merit be the real basis for appointing people, there should be no discrimination whatsoever.

Hamba nayooo! Phamberiiiii! I want to be optimistic, because I want this to succeed. The best time is now. and something is better than nothing. Do what you can and do it well. We need to remove the dusty, old and cobwebbed files from many public offices; keep the offices clean; cut the chaos and long lines at DCs offices, immigration and road traffic. Make sure police dont bash new expensive vehicles by allowing drunken and inexperienced cops to drive them wrecklessly. AND, if you are serious about corruption and inefficiency, long lines and slow speed of service is the worst symptom of it.

a PP kagwereni uko! you had two years in which you could have done reforms to get the country going! all you did was steal and cause confusion. The country is in a mess because of you! so the best you can do is watch and learn ow its done! do you hear Mr Msonda?

What are the reforms saying about recruiting people based on nepotism? What are the reforms saying about preventing fraudulent elections in the future? What are reforms saying about controlling our state broadcasting corporations? what are the reforms saying about recruitment of a bunch of advisors or misadvisors by the president? What are the reforms saying about repairs of government property I.e vehicles than buying new ones all the time? What are reforms saying about buying state of the art 4×4 for ministries when ordinary vehicles can equally take them to their destinations. I can’t wait to see the details, charity begins at home so change begins with u excellency Prof. AP Mutharika

Reform your brain you Pitara , first by among others confining your deep rooted nepotism,tribalism and regionalism to archives of history. Just as you declared state of emergency following wide spread floods , you should also declare as national disaster in the way we think as a nation , how we conduct business , how we behave etc etc. The attitude of know it all and politicizing and tribalizing everything is derailing us to move forward.

The reforms are long overdue. However, political interference will make these reforms another failure. We have seen how some people who are DPP sympathizers have been offered positions in civil service not because of their ability but rather allegiance to the ruling party. Chinwemwe Banda, Gerrald Viola are some of the names that come to my mind. Are these the reforms being paraded here? Secondly, the civil service is underfunded except for a few ministries that annually overspend. Most govt department in the districts receive meager amounts of ORT funding every month, how can they be efficient? The civil service is also understaffed at the implementation ( technical) level than management level. This trend has to be reversed. A ministry should have one PS and deserving directors, post of PS2 should be abolished. Ruling party cadres should not jump the ladder of civil service into management positions without breaking sweat. There are career civil servants who entered the service at PO level and get frustrated with political interference, end result is cashgate